New position paper outlines how technology-enhanced pharmacist education, smarter referral systems, and better access to quality self-care can support health literacy and Universal Health Coverage
Singapore — 2 April 2026 — SwipeRx, Southeast Asia’s largest pharmacy professional platform, together with Opella, today launched a new position paper, Trust Begins at the Counter: A Roadmap for Pharmacy-Led Self-Care (2023–2028), calling for greater recognition of community pharmacists as frontline partners in advancing health literacy, self-care, and Universal Health Coverage across Southeast Asia.
The paper highlights a simple but urgent reality: for millions of people across Southeast Asia, the pharmacist is often the most accessible healthcare professional. In many markets across the region, pharmacy visits outnumber doctor visits by a factor of ten, and between 70% and 85% of consumers in the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia already utilize pharmacies as a primary point of care. Trust also plays a major role, with 33.6% of consumers choosing pharmacies because they trust the pharmacist’s professional expertise.
Developed by SwipeRx and Opella, the position paper combines field experience, digital learning data, and policy recommendations to show how pharmacists can do even more to support safe, informed self-care at scale.
Demonstrated Impact Since 2023
Since 2023, the SwipeRx and Opella partnership has already delivered measurable impact across the region. Together, the two organizations have issued more than 46,000 accredited self-care training certificates, created digital learning modules across more than 8 self-care topics, and helped pharmacists report an average 16% increase in self-care knowledge, confidence, and referral ability. In Vietnam, pharmacist ability to appropriately refer improved from 45% to 90% following self-care training.
A Roadmap to Scale Through 2028
The new roadmap sets out a practical framework for scaling this impact through 2028.
Built around three pillars — Empower & Educate, Drive Access, and Refer — the roadmap focuses on equipping pharmacists with science-based, scenario-driven training; improving access to quality over-the-counter self-care solutions; and strengthening red-flag recognition and referral pathways into health systems. By 2028, SwipeRx and Opella aim to issue at least 80,000 total certificates, engage at least 60,000 unique pharmacists in digital self-care training, achieve an average 25% increase in self-care knowledge, and drive a 30% boost in self-care confidence among trained pharmacists.
Leadership Perspective
“Community pharmacists are one of the most important, and often underrecognized, drivers of everyday healthcare in Southeast Asia,” said Farouk Meralli, Founder and CEO, SwipeRx. “Through this position paper, we are calling for stronger systems, smarter policy, and greater investment in pharmacists as trusted self-care leaders. When pharmacists are equipped with the right training, tools, and referral support, they can help millions of people make better health decisions earlier and more confidently.”
Women at the Center of Pharmacy Care
The paper also highlights the central role of women in pharmacy-led care. Across the SwipeRx network of more than 310,000 pharmacy professionals, 78% are women, many of whom serve not only as healthcare workers but also as business owners and family caregivers. The paper calls for gender-inclusive policies that expand access to accredited learning, career mobility, and leadership opportunities as part of building stronger community health systems.
Industry Perspective
Maria Valentina Sposito, Opella ASEA Zone General Manager, said: “Self-care becomes real when people can act on it simply, confidently, and with trusted support close to home. In Southeast Asia, pharmacists are often the most accessible healthcare professionals, making them essential to stronger communities and health systems. Together with SwipeRx and trusted Pharmacist associations, we have already issued more than 46,000 accredited self-care training certificates across the region, helping pharmacists build the knowledge, confidence, and referral skills to better support their communities. At Opella, we believe health should be in your hands, and that starts by equipping pharmacists to turn science into practical guidance where it matters most: at the counter.”
Policy Priorities
The position paper outlines five policy priorities for governments, health systems, and industry stakeholders:
- Elevate health literacy leadership by embedding self-care and counselling skills into national continuing professional development and training frameworks.
- Mandate enabling systems and incentives that recognize pharmacists for their role in prevention and reducing health-system burden.
- Integrate systems through digital referral and data-sharing pathways between pharmacies and public health facilities.
- Empower women through gender-inclusive policies that support the predominantly female pharmacy workforce.
- Ensure equitable access through transparent regulatory pathways for safe, evidence-based self-care.
A Clear Call to Action
For policymakers, the message is clear: pharmacist-led self-care is not a peripheral solution. It is a practical, scalable way to improve health literacy, strengthen prevention, and ease strain on overstretched healthcare systems.
For healthcare industry stakeholders and retailers, the roadmap also highlights a major opportunity to raise standards in self-care delivery by supporting pharmacists with better digital education, decision-making tools, and access to trusted products and information.
“Every day at SwipeRx, we witness pharmacists actively transforming health outcomes within their communities,” said Meralli. “The evolution of the profession requires that they be fully integrated into the healthcare system and be recognized not merely as dispensers of medicine, but as frontline educators, trusted advisors, and vital referral partners.”
Access the Full Report
The full position paper, Trust Begins at the Counter: A Roadmap for Pharmacy-Led Self-Care (2023–2028), is now available on SwipeRx.
Read the Full Report
About SwipeRx
SwipeRx is the leading digital healthcare ecosystem for pharmacy professionals in Southeast Asia, uniting a network of over 300,000 professionals across 50,000 pharmacies. We operate the largest online accredited education platform for pharmacists in the region and the largest group purchasing organization for independent pharmacies in Indonesia providing access to affordable medicines and financing solutions. At SwipeRx, we believe the path to better community health starts at the pharmacy.
Find out more about SwipeRx at www.swiperx.com.
About Opella
Opella is the self-care challenger with the purest and third-largest portfolio in the Over-The-Counter (OTC) & Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements (VMS) market globally. Our mission is to bring health in people’s hands by making self-care as simple as it should be. For half a billion consumers worldwide – and counting. At the core of this mission is our 100 loved brands, our 11,000-strong global team, our 13 best-in-class manufacturing sites and 4 specialized science and innovation development centers, including one in Virginia, Australia.
Find out more about our mission at www.opella.com.
Media Contact
Imanuel Hutagalung
Vice President, Marketing
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